A noted scholar of Japanese literature is giving a Zoom talk (hosted by Bard College) on Thursday at 5:00pm. The topic is the “yamamba,” or “mountain witch,” that appears in various folktales and literary stories. Below is information for the talk!
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“Yamamba: The Ogress as Egress to Imagination in the Works of Modern Japanese Artists” by Dr. Rebecca Copeland
Thursday, November 18, 2021 (Online Event)
5:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.
In this presentation, I will discuss the way artists—primarily modern women writers—have turned to the monstrous figure of the mountain witch, or yamamba, as a way to galvanize their creativity. We begin with an overview of this ogress and her conflicting characteristics before turning to the way she has served as the egress to creativity, from medieval theater to the contemporary stage. We will consider the noh play, Yamamba, as well as the works of modern writer Ōba Minako and the choreography Yasuko Yokoshi. The talk will touch upon the recently published bookYamamba: In Search of the Japanese Mountain Witch.
Rebecca Copeland is a professor of Japanese literature at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on modern women’s writing, translation, and gender. More recently she has turned her attention to creative writing. Her debut novel,The Kimono Tattoo, was published by Brother Mockingbird Press in June 2021. That same month, Stone Bridge Press released her collection of creative responses to the yamamba, which she co-edited with Linda C. Ehrlich.
Join Zoom:https://bard.zoom.us/j/85492689001(Meeting ID: 854 9268 9001)
